Design Unpacked
Slovak design and applied art of the 20th century have a key place in the SNG collections, primarily in an author’s and solitary position. Pairs or trios of artifacts are allowed by the curators to converse in harmony and tension, peace and ambivalence
Design, applied art and craftsmanship are more of a surprise than an everyday occurrence in the galleries. They have had their place in the Slovak National Gallery for more than 60 years. For a long time, they were part of the dream of a Slovak art and industrial museum, and today they are above all a subtle but eloquent message about the vital relationships between design, art and craft.
The curators selected masterpieces and objects from the back shelves of depositories, reached for progressive works, also gave the floor to uncomfortable, controversial artifacts in order to find a visual and meaningful spark between them. You will recognize the works as bearers of information about the events and personalities of the collection, design and artistic quality, symbolism and place of origin in various contexts – as part of visual culture, economic practice, significant historical events and ordinary social and societal situations, such as politics. You can also study them in more depth thanks to the rich digital content.
